Changing Faces
by linesfade
Summary: Set in the year 2113, The Fifth World World War is on, and Spike is a commander. Buffy is resurrected again, bringing on the chain of events leading to yet another apocalypse. Set in a 24 hour time frame. New characters introduced. *CHAPTER 7 IS UP!*
1. Disclaimer Author's Notes

Changing Faces  
  
DISCLAIMER:  
  
All characters in the BtVS, Angel, & Watcher series are property and copyright of Fox, Mutant Enemy, Joss Whedon, and any others I might have left out. I do NOT own any privileges to the BtVS, Angel, and Watcher characters. HOWEVER, I DO own Isabelle, Shalimar, Rayvin, Kyla, and any other made up characters along the way. All hail the great & powerful Joss, without whom, this fan fiction would not be possible!  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES:  
  
Yeah, I know this is a tired plot, Buffy dies, blah, blah, she gets raised, blah, blah, she saves...wait. That's enough. Also--when you're reading Isabelle's lines and you wonder about her accent, think Drusilla...  
  
~*~  
  
Anyway...hopefully this is a fresh setting to that plot. This story takes shape in the year 2113 during the fifth World War, and in a period of 24 hours. This time, it's the forces of darkness against the "white hats" of the New World. By 'New World' I mean vampires, demons, witches, and the like being open and integrated into the public. The War has taken a toll on everyone and everything and there is only one warrior who can put an end to it. THE Slayer.  
  
Spike is a Commander in the War, serving as the head of the Thirteenth Battalion, and this story is told from the point-of-view of Spike's second- in-command, and fellow vampire...or should I say vampyress, Rayvin. Rayvin is about the only being Spike trusts any more, seeing as how she is an immortal just like him. He knows she'll never betray him in any way, and she knows that he will never sell her out. Rayvin is pretty much an outsider and is in the dark as to nearly all of Spike's past; she knows a bit and has heard rumors, but she doesn't know much for sure. This story is about her finding out all about her mentor and idol, Spike...and all about her glimmering heroine, the Slayer...  
  
AND--in the banner, Victoria Pratt is the actress I've chosen to play Shalimar...seeing as how she plays Shalimar FOX on Mutant X. Shiri Appleby from Roswell is the actress taking on the role of Isabelle, and Yancy Butler of Witchblade is playing the lead role of Rayvin. I do NOT know these people, nor have I ever met them...although I wish I had...*eg* They own themselves...yada, yada, yada, and so on and so forth... 


	2. Things Change

Prologue  
Things Change  
  
Life changes. It always will, that's a given; a fact, a truth. But it isn't one of those fly-by-night things that happen while you're sleeping. It isn't here today and gone tomorrow. No, change is one of those select few things that are around forever. Until the end of time, change happens, and will continue to happen until time, or a higher being is sated with how things are going. Then, at a certain time, he - or she - will grow tired of the same thing happening over and over. In which case, things change.  
  
How it happens is the question, one that I among MANY people would love to have answered. This thing we call change...I hate it. It's ruined what should be the best days of my life...It's turned my life into one big battlefield, filled with drama, death, rebirth, resurrection, persecution, joy, and a horrific curse.  
  
What's my curse, you ask? It's this 'gift' called immortality. This 'gift' has given me the grace to see that everything I've been blessed with in my life has the right, and the reason, to change... 


	3. Dreaming Of Destruction

Chapter One  
  
Dreaming of Destruction  
  
3.1.2113 7:15 AM  
  
'Dreaming...that's it. I'm dreaming...I've gotta be.' I looked around at the carnage that lay at my feet, bewildered that anything remotely human could endure, let alone dole out this much pain, suffering, and misery. You didn't have to be a vampire to smell the death in the air. One look at my human comrade's face told me enough. He could smell the death...and so much more.  
  
It's the year 2113...bad luck to most mortals, but to creatures of the night like myself...it seemed to be home sweet home. The number thirteen held so many bad connotations. Bad luck, death, torture, hell on earth, apocalypse. So much had happened in the past hundred and one years that life, as it was known then, had ceased to exist. All those creatures thought to be "mythical" and "non-existent" had been exposed to the open public...and were opened up to seething hatred, humiliation, fear, repulsion. But most of all, it brought on what might have well been termed the Fifth World War...that's right. The fifth. The third...well, we all know that one. It's the third most recent bit in the kids' World and United States History books. 'Course, it all started with the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City. The 0ld New York City. The old New York was the battlegrounds for that war. Looked like it was hell on earth to me. I still remember the day I watched from my shadows when, 2010, the scattered remnants of the once beautiful city was bulldozed and building was began anew. That day changed me...from a vicious, relentless killer to a vampyress with "filed teeth" as they now say. All that means is that I'm on the tamer side of the world of darkness, shielded from my old friends and forced to better myself with new ones. I used to say I changed faces...hell. I still do.  
  
"Rayvin. Time to move," I heard a voice to my left. The Commander. I nodded my reply and trained my laser sight on the dark abyss ahead of our squad. The Commander pulled ahead, his platinum blonde hair seeming to come alive underneath the black Kevlar helmet. Why we still wear those things is beyond me. Everyone knows neutron blasts from any weapon will slice right through the old, outdated safety headgear...just for reassurance, I guess. Anyway, where was I?  
  
Oh yeah. The Fourth World War. That was a short skirmish, kind of like a prologue to this one...the Fourth was short, about two years, and all of the casualties were for nothing. Of course. If they'd been for something, we wouldn't be here, fighting in the Commander's - hell. I don't even know why I call him that. He tells us all to call him Spike, never 'Commander'. We all refer to him by his rank outside of his range of hearing when we're with The Crew, otherwise known as the Thirteenth Battalion, The Hellions, Hell's Brigade, and a slew of other nicknames. We just call ourselves The Crew. Nothing more. Rumor has it, back in the day of the Slayer...he and she were quite the duo, if you know what I mean. And literally. I heard one time that they took out a warehouse full of vamps here on the Hellmouth, just the two of them. That's right. This battle's in Sunnyhell, as Spike likes to call it. Sunnydale, California...home sweet home.  
  
"Ruiz, Michaels, Kyla, take a sweep of the right perimeter and report back here in..," Spike glanced down at his watch. "0800 hours."  
  
The trio he'd named off looked at him in a dumb manner. "Bloody 'ell! Eight O'clock, people...din't you ever go over the soddin milit'ry times?...If I'm not back, wait for me. This may take a right bit longer that I'd like it to..," He looked at me then.  
  
"Rayvin, you an' the two Wiccas are with me," he spoke crisply and headed off towards the right set of tunnels. The witches he was referring to were two of my best mortal friends, Isabelle Morough and Shalimar Mira. Spike had once compared Isabelle to an obviously very powerful Wicca who went by the name of Willow...one in a group of people he hardly ever referred to. He always said it hurt too much. I assumed he meant the "mythical" Slayer's group of friends the rest of the Battalion always spoke of in secrecy.  
  
Legend had it that the gang, the Scoobies, helped the Slayer out on more than one occasion, fighting side by side with her when she needed help. The legends also said that the group included two Wiccas, an ex-vengeance demon, her sister the Key, her watcher, a carpenter, and Spike, and that the Scooby Gang - named after the paranormal-pounding gang of cartoon characters from around the 1960's - was her strength. That they were the reason she was the reigning Slayer for so long.  
  
"Spike," I began, my Irish accent filtering through my whisper, trying to remain quiet as the four of us trudged through a series of dank tunnels. "What are we doin 'ere? We're not patrollin' are we?"  
  
"No, pet, we aren't patrolling," Spike replied, growing silent. Almost pensive. "We're calling up reinforcements."  
  
"Reinforcements? I thought..." I began, but was cut off when I was silenced by the blonde vampire before me.  
  
"Listen, 's only one person I know can kill like we need killin' done, luv. And I promised 'er I'd let 'er rest...until she was needed again. I'd say now's when we need 'er pretty bad, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah...I got ye," I shut up as we trudged onward toward the end of the tunnel. As we neared the darkened ceremony room underground, I began to catch whiffs of what I thought was the rare scent of jasmine, vanilla, and a bit of incense.  
  
"Ray...Rayvin!" came a muffled whisper from behind me. I slowed my pace to allow the two mortals to catch up to me, carefully watching Spike's path through the winding tunnels. When the Wiccas caught up, they each took one side of me, a mix of a light panic, relief, and confusion on their faces.  
  
"Rayvin...what's going on? What's he doing?" Isabelle queried, her British accent sounding a little strained.  
  
"I think the better question would be, 'what is he going to have US do'?" Shalimar added in, taking in the look of fear on my face.  
  
"My guess? I think he wants to bring back his Slayer..." 


	4. The Resurrection

Chapter Two  
  
The Resurrection  
  
3.1.2113 7:29 AM  
  
"Bring back the SLAYER?! Is he NUTS?!" Shalimar panicked.  
  
"Does he even know what kind of sodding TESTS we'll be put through?" Isabelle panicked, flinging her hands above her head and dropping her gun. I caught it before it hit the concrete bottom of the tunnel.  
  
"Isa! Shal'mar! Get it together! If he sees you like this...he'll..."  
  
"All right. Fine. But it's me an' Shal'mar messin' with the forces of darkness...not him..," Isabelle whimpered, trying her best to calm her nerves. I glanced over at Shalimar and she seemed to be trying to do the same.  
  
"Listen guys, he told me there's only one person that can help us now...and if that person happens to be his Slayer, then so be it. I do want to end this God-forsaken war sometime soon! I want to go home...sit and play on whatever passes for a computer now, and just be a lazy bloody bum! A black and tan sounds about nice now as well, so let's get movin'. The faster we bring 'er completely back, the faster this war'll be over!" I spat as I picked up my pace and, followed quickly and quietly by the duo of Wiccas, caught up to Spike.  
  
When I got back to him, he was crouched down, hiding around a corner from some unseen creatures. He motioned for me to stay down and behind him, and I gave the same command to the witches.  
  
"Bloody horde of demons in there...knew I couldn't take em all on my own...but you three might help a bit," he whispered so that only my vampyric senses could pick it up. "Tell the witches to help us out a bit, a'ight, luv?"  
  
"Got it," I replied and then turned to the duo of Wiccas squatted behind me. I tapped my head, code between Isabelle and I for our secret, telempathic conversations she and I were notorious for. Isabelle and Shalimar locked in with each other first, and then I joined in, casting my mind and thoughts out for them to grasp. I felt a fuzzy connection at first, a bit of tingling at the back of my head near the base of my skull and then felt it solidify into something nearly tangible...a kind of pressure that you would think would drive you crazy after a while. It doesn't. That's the weird bit about it; it's almost comforting...  
  
'You read, ladies?'  
  
'I got you, Rayvin,' came the reply from Shalimar. 'You got me?'  
  
'I've got you both. Loud and clear, what's going?' Isabelle's voice whispered through my head.  
  
'Good. I'm all clear. Ladies, Spike and I are going in to try to clear out some bads. We need ya' on our backs, ready to work your magicks if it comes down to it, ya' hear?'  
  
'Gotcha.' Isabelle winked her good luck at me.  
  
'You bet. Kick some ass, girl. Call us when you're ready.' Shalimar nodded.  
  
'Good. When it's clear, I'll call the "one-three," a' right?'  
  
I was met with a pair of nods.  
  
'Good. I'm out ladies.'  
  
I quit our connection and then turned back to Spike. "Three for go, Spike."  
  
"Good, on my mark, you an' I go in," he glanced back at me, pain and longing in his eyes. I even thought I caught a tear in the pitch black of the sewer tunnel...I shook it off and rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "One chance at this..." This time I was sure he was crying. I heard him choke back a faint sob. I squeezed his shoulder lightly and then took his hand in mine.  
  
"I won't fail ya, Spike...I can't. You saved me arse once - I owe you - big." I gave him a shy grin and moved closer to him. I released his hand, pulled out my beloved shiv, and felt its comforting, solid weight in my right hand. With its intricate Celtic designs soldered into the gleaming metal, the four-and-a-half inch blade, the ivory handle also decorated with Celtic symbols, the edge of the blade so sharp it screams death each time I pull it out of its holster, and sighs in resignation that it didn't get to kill enough, or sometimes for not getting to kill anything when I put it back...it's my pride and joy...In my left hand I held a stake, crafted by my own hand while I was going through the Watcher's Council's version, of what I was told, had been called "boot camp" in the old world...  
  
He nodded in reply. "Ready yourself, pet. Movin' in...three...two...one...mark!"  
  
As soon as I rounded the corner, my stake flew from my hand, pinning a polgara demon to the wall. It winced in pain as Spike and I caused quite a bit of dust to fly in the tiny room. Between the two of us, we dusted twenty of the thirty-five vampires in the first two minutes we were in the room. As we moved on to the next vampire, and the next, turning them into tiny piles of meaningless dust, I can feel my blade sing, and I can feel the demon inside my head, in my heart, the one that's taken over the void where my soul should be, rejoicing in the violence of the single swings of the blessed blade that seemed to be attached to my hand, beheading each vampire I came up against with utter ease.  
  
Suddenly, there were no more vampires on my side of the room, and feeling one of my kind nearing me, I whirled...ready to slice his head clean off of his shoulders...but the flash of peroxide blonde hair made my blade halt just millimeters from his throat and silence its joyful singing. It was then that I felt the eerie touch of the special stake Spike always carried with him, yet never used by his own hand, poking into my chest directly above my unbeating heart, business end first. He and I stood there, toe-to- toe, my blade to his throat, his stake to my chest, separated by mere inches...both of us gulping in breaths of rancid air we knew we'd never need...I glanced behind him and found nothing but piles of dust all over the floor. I took in breath after needless breath, trying to regain my balance and humility to face my leader once again.  
  
" All done, huh?" I murmured, bringing my shiv away from Spike's throat coolly and slowly, backing out of our entangled stance, as I sheathed my weapon of choice.  
  
" 'Course, pet..," Spike put away his own weapon and glanced up at the polgara demon who was still stuck to the wall thanks to my trusty wooden stake. "Keep 'im there, Rayvin. We may need 'im later."  
  
I nodded. " Would ya' like me to take care of his nasties?" I inquired, glancing at the bone skewers protruding from his wrists.  
  
"Please. You do that; I'll gather the Wiccas..."  
  
"Just call them. They'll come in...All you have to do is tell them it's all clear."  
  
Spike opened his mouth to speak, and I silenced him quickly.  
  
"BUT--"  
  
Spike turned and cocked his head at me the way he always does when he's feeling excited, cocky, or when he just plain wants to be sarcastic as hell. I stifled a laugh.  
  
"But...They won't come in here unless you say the right thing to them..." I replied nonchalantly as I dealt the demon a hard blow to his temple, rendering him unconscious. I pulled my stake out of his shoulder and watched as the limp body fell to the floor. I sighed. "I hate it when they do that!" I muttered under my breath while bending down to snap the skewers off where they were still protruding from the wrists.  
  
Spike gave a short cackle and turned back to me. "Then, by all means, Rayvin...do bring them out o' hiding, pet."  
  
I grinned, closed my eyes, and focused in on Isabelle's presence.  
  
'Isa?'  
  
'You good, Ray?' came the tinny reply.  
  
'I'm all good. We've got an unconscious polgara demon, in case it's needed for anything in the spell, and...' I paused.  
  
Behind me, I heard a loud scuffle, followed by a shriek of pain and a body hitting the floor. I whirled around, and found Spike - stake in hand - ready to do in yet another vampire.  
  
'Ray?'  
  
'Yeah...Spike's about to take out another vamp...'  
  
'NO! Leave it!'  
  
"SPIKE!" I attempted to speak loudly, and my voice cracked under the effort.  
  
"Wha' is it, pet?"  
  
"Isabelle says they...might need 'im. I guess you should just...knock 'im out or somethin'..."  
  
"I can deal with that..." Spike then grabbed the trembling demon by the neck of his shirt, pulled him up, and whispered, " 'night," before ramming his fist into the fledgling's face, knocking him into pure unconscious bliss. Spike turned back to me and winked, flashing his patented cocky grin. I smiled at him in return, partly out of amusement before reconnecting with Isabelle.  
  
'Isa? We're good. Two unconscious bads, and the one-three is go...'  
  
I could hear the grin in her reply.  
  
'All is go. We're comin' in Ray,' that was all I heard before she backed out of the connection. Less than ten minutes later, she and Shalimar were set up and ready to begin the ceremony.  
  
"How far off are we from getting started?" Spike inquired as I sat down in between the two Wiccas and joined hands with them.  
  
"We're seconds away, Spike...All ya' have t' do is join us down 'ere..." I grinned. Spike did as I requested and sat in between Shalimar and myself. Moments later we were well into the spell...and the resurrection of the greatest warrior in the history of mankind - and all vampyric nature as well - had begun...again.  
  
~*~  
  
"...Come on, I can feel it, Slayer. You know you want to dance."  
  
"Say it's true. Say I do want to... it wouldn't be you, Spike. It would never be you. You're beneath me..."  
  
* * *  
  
"...I know you'll never love me. I know that I'm a monster. But you treat me like a man, and that's.... Get your stuff, I'll be here..."  
  
* * *  
  
"You always hurt the ones you love, pet..."  
  
~*~  
  
Where and when was it that her feelings changed? She used to hate him. He remembers it. That one time outside the Bronze when the two of them went out into the alley and had it out....him telling her that all they'd ever done was dance....and she - the Slayer - denying it completely. Saying that she would NEVER 'dance' with him...that he was beneath her...  
  
Was it all that long ago? It didn't seem that long ago to him, even though it had been over one hundred years...He had met Rayvin about a hundred years ago, and eleven after Buffy had died the third time. Spike found his mind, and his demon, falling for Rayvin, but his unbeating heart and missing soul didn't fall for her. Spike could tell she'd fallen for him, and thanked her for being open-minded enough to pick up that he didn't want to be loved by anyone at the moment. Of course, that at-the-moment thing had developed into a for-all-eternity gig...and he had loved her even more for that.  
  
Suddenly, Spike was aware that all of the chanting in ancient tongues focusing around Gaelic, Latin, and Egyptian texts had ceased all together. And before him, upon the ceremonial cement coffin, in all of her luminescent glory laid his idol of strength, his rock of youth, and his emissary of longevity. His Slayer.  
  
"Let all behold...Buffy Anne Summers...the Slayer..." 


	5. The Warrior

Chapter Three  
  
The Warrior  
  
3.1.2113 8:27 AM  
  
There she lay, naked - stripped of everything she'd been feeling, happiness, joy, elation, relaxation. Things she hadn't felt, truly felt, since before she'd received her calling to her responsibilities as the Slayer - and now, here she was, oblivious to her surroundings, the people surrounding her, the world. Her blonde hair seemed to billow in the soft butterfly kisses of the supernatural gusts coming from the waning golden glows of the vanilla, jasmine, and incense spell candles. She acknowledged the witchcraft. Then the darkness, the solitude, the feeling of heavy responsibility. Suddenly it hit her. *She was back*. It wasn't like the first time, either. This was an actual funerary and resurrection chamber. She turned her head, and her hazel eyes met with a pair of shocked crimson, brown, and a pair of shocked cobalt ones. The owners of those three sets of eyes bowed before her, and fell to one knee, showing their highest regards to the Slayer. And then the piercing, icy blue eyes she'd not forgotten, that had been haunting her, since the day she'd 'left'...again.  
  
"Spike?"  
  
~*~  
  
My crimson eyes darted back to Spike, and I saw him let out a breath I was sure he never knew he'd been holding. A single tear fell from the corner of his eye and he stepped forward. I caught his eye, and he nodded. I stood, grabbed my pack from against the wall to my left, and pulled out the black jumpsuit I'd managed to smuggle from the munitions depot back at the base, should any of us ever need it.  
  
"Buffy..." he breathed. "I'm so sorry, pet. I know I told you I'd let you rest, but..."  
  
I watched in awe as she silenced him with a trembling kiss. Even though it was barely a touch, I could feel the sparks between the two of them...the electricity seemed to ignite the whole room into flames. I know Shalimar and Isabelle felt it as well. Their ragged breaths told me enough.  
  
The Slayer pulled her lips away from her vampire lover and pulled him to her in a passionate embrace.  
  
"Spike..."  
  
I saw him shudder in the waning candlelight and I sighed to myself.  
  
'If only I could've been loved like that...' I thought. I cleared my throat lightly, and Spike righted himself slowly. He grabbed the slayer by the shoulders and turned her around, half-hiding her vulnerable form behind him.  
  
"Ladies, meet the Slayer. You'll 'ave to forgive 'er if she's a bit timid..," she wrapped her arms around his waist and hid her face in the middle of his back. I shot a sideways glance at the curious Wiccas at my side, who were straining their necks to try and get a look at the mythical warrior. I cleared my throat and shifted facades, shooting daggers at them from behind my golden eyes. They settled down, and I changed faces once again, glancing fleetingly at the obviously frightened figure behind our vampyric leader. Spike nodded at me and glanced somewhat behind him before shifting his gaze back to me. "Rayvin…"  
  
I knew what he wanted before he even motioned for the jumpsuit. I nodded and moved to hand it over to him, but he stopped my hand halfway.  
  
I had thought I knew what he'd wanted…  
  
"Rayvin, come 'ere, pet…" I moved closer, confusion plain on my face. "Buffy, this is Rayvin."  
  
The Slayer looked up at me briefly, before her eyes fell back on Spike, the questions plain on her face.  
  
"She's a vampire too, luv. Has been for quite awhile…and she's the only one I've trusted my life to since…" Spike trailed off and I could tell his mind had gone back to the days when things were 'normal.' Oh, how I longed for those days as well… "Rayvin, help me out here a bit…"  
  
"Buffy?" I tried out my voice, a timid fragileness echoing in the midst of fierce concentration, - on what, I wasn't sure, - and a tiredness I hadn't realized was there until I had just spoken. But something in my voice had garnered her attention, because she turned her eyes to me, along with her undivided attention. "I'm sorry we had to bring you back…We sure as hell wouldn't've if it could've been avoided…but we're on the verge of losing this War…  
  
"A lot of things've changed since you…died," Buffy blanched, but held her gaze to me nonetheless. "And you should know about everything. You'll learn about all of it later, I'm sure, but for now, you should know that all of the creatures you knew to fight - the demons, vampyres, an' what-all else - are now integrated into society…or what we have left of it…"  
  
"Is…is the apocalypse here?" She inquired timidly, her hazel eyes sparking to life as she asked about the Final Battle everyone knew was to come.  
  
"Not yet, but we all can feel it comin'."  
  
"You're…Irish?"  
  
I nodded. "From Belfast, yes; I's turned in 2010…And I'm one-hundred and three years old, in Vampyre years, that is…"  
  
"One…hundred and…three?" A shock registered on her face, and then a flush took over, marring her features. "I've been gone over a hundred years here?" Her voice was a hushed whisper.  
  
"Yes, pet," Spike chose to speak once again. "Over a hundred years."  
  
To my left, a throat cleared. I turned my head. Shalimar. Her chocolate brown eyes were glaring at me with jealousy.  
  
"Excuse my manners, Slayer," I said, turning back to the blonde before me. "You may want to put this on…" I handed Buffy the black jumpsuit and she accepted it gratefully. I helped her into it, and received hateful glares from the two Wiccas.  
  
"And…" she looked up from the buckles she was busy adjusting. "I'd like you to meet our team of mages - they're both Wiccas, by the way - Shalimar Mira and Isabelle Morough." I motioned to the two witches and each stepped forward to shake the Slayer's hand as I spoke their names. Shalimar raked a hand through her blonde hair nervously and stepped closer to my side. Buffy glanced at Shalimar's strange actions and then back at me. Isabelle handled her nervousness by simply shifting her weight from foot to foot, her brunette hair swaying with the motion.  
  
"So...you two are the Witches..." Buffy murmured, more to herself than anyone, but I nodded anyway. Next she motioned towards me. "And you're the best friend...of the vampire."  
  
Isabelle and Shalimar were confused, but I knew exactly what Buffy was trying to do...she was trying to form a new Scooby Team in her mind. New characters, yes, but still the same roles. I grinned at her to show her I knew what she was thinking...and she warmed up a bit. She opened her mouth to say something, but shut it just as quickly.  
  
"What is it, Buffy?" I whispered as I walked up to her to "help" her with the buckles on the jumpsuit. She shivered and I shrugged off my flack jacket, and held it up to her. She cocked her head to the side and then allowed me to help her put it on.  
  
"Your smile...it reminds me of...of Willow. My best friend from..." her voice wavered, even though it was nothing more than a whisper. I held up a finger to my lips.  
  
"I know...about Willow. I don't know everything about your...old life. But I know enough to get me by for now. You don't have to explain to me. Everything will unfold in time that's meant to come...and if your past happens to be a part of it, then I'll just wait. Only speak when you're ready. Our squad isn't that pushy, and if you need space, just say the word, and you'll have all the space in the world. Metaphorically speaking, of course."  
  
Buffy was silent as she took it all in and zipped up the jacket. She glanced at the black muscle tank I wore and then down the length of my arms. She looked up quickly.  
  
"You're tanned..."  
  
"Yeah," I replied. "We've developed a manner of tanning without the ultra violet light that was needed back then. It uses things called solarradiation waves, which is sort of in between the ultra violet and the rest of the rays that were known about back in the early 2000's. For some reason, the rays aren't harmful to us...and we've been trying to develop a way to shield the world from the UV rays and filter them out, and at the same time let the SR rays in...so that we can walk around in the daytime and not be bothered by our - heh - 'allergy.'  
  
"But anyway, most of us are required to use the SR beds to get a good enough skin tone so that we blend into the darkness a bit better. There's also a bit of a spell that's been integrated into the beds that makes us semi-invisible in the darkness...so we hardly ever get caught."  
  
I gave a mischievous grin and Spike walked over to the two of us.  
  
"Are we ready, ladies?" Spike grinned, wrapping his arms around the Slayer's thin waist. I nodded in reply.  
  
"I'm good. Buffy? You okay to go?" I gazed at her, an unsure and timid feeling hitting my senses. I was sure Spike had felt it too...  
  
"Yeah...I suppose. Let's get out of here." Buffy looked down at the ground and then squeezed Spike's hand before he kissed her cheek, turned back to Shalimar and Isabelle, and left the Slayer and I to ourselves. We were silent as we waited - side by side - for the other three to hurry up and get done with their duties. Once they had gathered their things, Spike took the lead once more, Shalimar and Isabelle took up a quiet conversation in the middle of us, and Buffy and I brought up the rear slowly, keeping our own conversation private and for our ears only.  
  
"So," Buffy glanced down at my jacket she still wore, and I stole a glance at her in turn. She was investigating my insignia, pins, and the identification patch on the outside of the jet black flack jacket. "Doherty? Rayvin Doherty? Is that it?"  
  
I couldn't help but let out a short laugh. "No...Rayvin's just my nickname, like Spike is to him..," I pointed ahead of us at the bleached head a long way in the lead. "My real name's simple…if you're of Gaelic background, I suppose. My name is Nuala Doherty."  
  
"Nooala? 'S a bit strange, don't'cha think?"  
  
"Not for my people. For yours, it would be a bit out of this world...but for mine, it was perfect." I replied dreamily.  
  
"Tell me about...you. Not the vampire you, but the human you...what were you like? Did you have kids? Brothers? Sister...?" She trailed off and I took a deep, calming breath.  
  
"The real me is what you want, 's that right?" Buffy nodded and gazed into my crimson eyes. I glanced back into her own hazel orbs and took another unneeded breath. "All right. I was born in Belfast. A little cottage by the waterfront. I had two sisters and a brother. Me parents died when I was ten. Me brother, who was seventeen at the time, took over takin' care of us. Makin sure we stayed out of trouble. Only problem was, he couldn't stay out of trouble himself. He kept bein' brought home by the police...all sorts of messed up...Drinkin' two pints in an hour is not of the good, for future references, Slayer."  
  
Buffy's jaw dropped. "So what happened then?"  
  
"Wha' 'appened then, eh? Well, he got tossed in the slammer, and he weren't ever released until he was in his sixties. But, that's the price he paid, killin' them two innocents in the car wreck he caused...Ah...nothin' more there," I paused, trying to recall my brother's face. It wouldn't come, so I continued. "I took the pledge - haven't touched a drop of liquor since I's sixteen. And I hadn't wanted to...well, until recently." I motioned about in the darkness at the empty tunnel as we continued to push onward through the slop in Sunnydale's sewer system.  
  
"I think I could understand that. This place...gives me the wiggins..." Buffy grumbled, drawing nearer to my side. I grinned and threw a comforting arm around her shoulders.  
  
"No worries, mate. We'll be back with the Crew in no time!" I reassured her. "They always bring me out of me stupors!"  
  
"Can I ask you...another question?" She spoke timidly.  
  
"'Course, Slayer. I'm not gonna bite," I pulled my arm away from her torso and gazed at her tiny frame. "No pun intended there." I added, taking in the shocked look on her features.  
  
"Oh, of course not...um...what's the gig with your eyes, Rayvin? Why are they red like that?"  
  
I grinned. "Ah...the red eyes are my favorite part of being a part of this War. I had surgery on them to enhance my vision. I run point for the Crew and give them a bit of insight as to who's coming. My gig in this group is that I'm on the alert 24/7, as we used to say, ready to intercept anyone or anything that's ready to attack or is moving in on us. If you were able to see through my eyes as well, you'd be able to see a targeting sight. I can target and get off accurate firing up to two hundred meters...and that's only the end of my effective lethal range. I can fire up to four hundred meters and still injure a person...but then, that all also depends upon the weapon of choice as well.  
  
"I assume you're gonna be using the weapons of lore, Slayer?" I inquired as I pulled a stockpiled crossbow and a quiver - full of wooden arrows - out of my bag of tricks. I slung the bag back over my shoulder and handed the weapon to the Slayer. She looked it over as if processing every niche, every mark on the object.  
  
"Hasn't been used much, has it?" She inquired, more to herself than me. "Not much scarring on the wood...from backfires and use..." She rambled on, talking about how much the weapon hadn't been used and how to use it.  
  
"Familiar with it, are we, Slayer?" I grinned at her recognition of the weapon which had, in legends, become second nature to her, much like her wooden stakes...  
  
"Much. I...I had one of these. Back with...Giles...and Willow...and Xander...and...and *Dawn*...Oh my god...Dawnie..." I think it was then that it actually hit Buffy that her sister was no longer here for her. I came to a halt and grabbed Buffy before she fell to her knees in the river of sewage that swelled up to our ankles.  
  
"Shh...it's okay, Buffy. Whatever you need, I'm here for you. You can always talk to me about anything, all right?" The Slayer nodded in reply and slung her arms around my neck. I tapped into Isabelle's thoughts.  
  
'Isa...'  
  
'What is it, Ray?'  
  
'Slow up Spike a bit. Tell him he's needed back 'ere...Now...'  
  
Isabelle flung herself around to glance back at us. I flashed golden eyes at her and she darted up to get the attention of the Vampire in the lead. Finally he turned, his eyes wide, and raced back to us, siphoning the disgusting water to either side as he ran.  
  
"Buffy, what's wrong, pet?" His eyes were filled with sympathy for the Slayer...his Slayer. I saw it there. The love, the will to protect her from anything at all costs - even if it meant his death to accomplish it.  
  
"Dawnie..." Buffy sobbed. "I want Dawnie..."  
  
As Spike tried to console her, Shalimar and Isabelle came to stand beside me. Spike held her close, stroking her golden locks as he tried to calm her. It was then that the two Wiccas and I realized exactly what love was. It was the need to feel something so real, so extreme that one would give anything - even one's life, or in this case, unlife, to save the other from humiliation or suffering of any kind. Not that that was of any use here, but the meaning in Spike's gestures, the feeling in his words went beyond words to me, at least.  
  
And it was clear to me that whatever these two shared went beyond love, beyond adoration, and beyond any other word associated with love which came to mind. These two were attached in more ways than one...and that was something that I wished I had going for me. Or at least coming to me in the near future... 


	6. The Light and The Dark

Chapter Four  
The Light and The Dark  
3.1.2113 11:14 AM  
  
Eventually we made it back to the rest of the Crew, and they were all just as shocked as Isabelle, Shalimar, and I were to see the Slayer. And then the shock of seeing the Slayer and Spike...together. All of them...us...had guessed that it was true, but no one really knew for sure that the two of them had been an item. One of Light, and One of Dark...  
  
"Kyla..." I whispered to the girl to my right. Her shoulder-length blonde hair bouncing as she turned to face me. My sister was definitely a beauty to behold. Her radiant smile would light up the room, and her pale skin always glistened as if it was just oiled. Her eyes were the palest green I'd ever seen in my entire time on the planet and her demeanor, although a vampire, was the calmest and most soothing of anyone I'd ever met.   
  
"What's goin on, Rayvin?" Her eyes took on a bemused quality. "Is that really the Slayer?"  
  
"Yeah, it is actually the Slayer. C'mon. I want you to meet her," I drug the blonde over to meet the Slayer, and when we pulled up short of Buffy, I noticed the solitude reflecting in her eyes.   
  
"Slayer?" I questioned timidly and she directed her hazel eyes up to me. "Can I introduce someone to you?"  
  
"Of course. Come on..," She patted the dry cement next to her, and Kyla and I sat down to her left.   
  
"Buffy, I'd like you to meet someone that I love with all of my heart." I motioned for Kyla to move closer to the Slayer and then continued. "Buffy, this is my youngest sister, Kyla. She was turned at the same age I was...Twenty-one. I thought you might like to meet her..."   
  
In actuality, I wasn't sure whether or not Buffy was ready to meet my sister. I was just hoping that I could ease her heartache a bit by introducing her to Kyla. It looked, from my point of view, that my introducing my sister to Buffy was helping a bit...At least now she had another player for her new Scooby Team...now she had the sister.   
  
"Hi, Kyla. I...I'm Buffy..."  
  
Kyla grinned broadly. "How's it goin', Slayer?"  
  
"I've been better..."   
  
Kyla toned down her smile. "Sorry to hear that..." Kyla turned in retreat, a hurt expression flashing over her face.  
  
"Kyla! No - no, that's...that's not what I meant..." The slayer whimpered as I jumped up and flung my arm out to halt my sister. She flashed yellow eyes at me, but I stood my ground. I flashed my amber eyes back at her in return. She knew I was more powerful than she ever had been at any given time. When I was her age, I had twice her strength, twice her agility, and it was then I had found myself the second-in-command of The Crew.   
  
"Kyla...turn. Speak. She needs friendship. Talk to the Slayer..." I placed a finger on her forehead, silently telling her to use her brain and think before she spoke.   
  
She's bad about that, my sister. She's always been that way, no thanks to my brother. Kyla always speaks before she thinks about what she's sayin'. And it's gotten her into a LOT of trouble...that's why I turned her...to try and keep her away from the people she'd gotten into trouble with the most. It seemed to have worked...so far.  
  
I looked at her hard as she sauntered up to Buffy, her eyes downcast.  
  
"Buffy - " The slayer looked up at the fair vampyress before her and a light sparked into her eyes...  
  
"You know, you look like a blonde version of Dawnie..." she whispered and my sister grinned.   
  
"Who's 'Dawnie'?"   
  
"My sister..."   
  
I grinned as the two of them went into conversations that appeared as if Kyla was Dawn's reincarnate...they had been exactly alike. Stubborn, a bit of a wild streak, and even a bit Klepto at times. Scary as it was to admit, Kyla had actually been in a hospital for it for a while...and it was hell for me.   
  
"Gettin' along well, aren't they?"  
  
I turned and there stood Spike and Nichalus Michaels, my flanking partner. His crimson eyes showed a bit of jealousy toward Kyla.   
  
"Easy, Mate. You'll meet 'er 'ventually." Spike stated, after noticing the look on Nick's face, and then slapped him on the back, before walking over to talk with his lover.   
  
"You know, it must be nice..." I whispered to no one.   
  
"What, Ray?" Nick's crimson eyes searched mine when I looked up at him.   
  
I shrugged.  
  
"Tell me," he begged. his face completely losing the look of annoyed jealousy he'd had moments before, replacing that with a worried look.   
  
"To be loved like that," I motioned at Spike and the Slayer as Kyla stood up and shook Buffy's hand before turning to go back to the rest of the Crew. I wiped a single, blood red tear from my eye and looked back at Nick. "I've longed for that my entire life and unlife. You don't know how many times I've wished for a love that could span all eternity and find me..." I choked back a sob. "And there it is - they have it, the Light and the Dark, just like the prophecy told..."  
  
Nick shook his head. "Prophecy? What prophecy?"  
  
I sniffled. "What? You didn't know?"  
  
Nick shook his head, his eyes narrowing. "No, I didn't. Tell me, Rayvin."  
  
"Well, according to Gaelic legends, there will be one, a vampire, a member of the Legion of the Dark who will lead a crew of Hellions in a crusade to save the world from a coming apocalypse. In order to ensure his victory, that vampire had to resurrect his love, a member of the Realm of Light."  
  
Nick gazed at me, not comprehending a word I'd just said.   
  
"Don't you get it, Nichalus? Spike is the Dark, Buffy is the Light, and we are his Hellions! We will be the crew to fight the coming apocalypse and win not only because she is the Slayer...but because she is an Angel. One of the highest commands of Angels ever to exist! One of the rare hierarchies of Angel only bestowed upon Slayers! Do you get it now? Buffy is an Angel! She is one of the Angelos, Nick."  
  
"But..."  
  
"No 'buts'! Nick, Buffy is one of the oldest forms of Angels ever to have been created. It is a great honor to share the field of battle with such a creature, let alone know one is among you! Take comfort in the prophesy, Nichalus. Although many of us will die, we will emerge victorious. That much is foretold, and we shall fight on, in the name of the Slayer, in the honor of the Clan of Angelos, and in the name of creation."  
  
Nick looked at me, his jaw wide open. "Ray - that was deep."  
  
"Yeah, well, deep is how far we're into this confrontation. And one little thing I forgot to mention...we have to defeat the Legion of humans before they open the Hellmouth unintentionally."  
  
"Bloody...hell..."  
  
"You're tellin' me..." Before I turned to follow Nick, I stole a furtive glance back at the Vampire and the Slayer who were nestled in each other's arms, each of them sleeping with grins on their faces. I sighed, mentally comparing the two lovers to the characters from the story of "Don Quiote".   
  
"She surely is his bleedin' Dulcinea..."  
  
I shook my head and took off after Nick... 


	7. I Can Hear Heaven

Chapter Five  
  
"I Can Hear Heaven..."  
  
3.1.2113 1:24 PM  
  
Spike awoke to the sound of shallow breathing. The kind of breathing one would associate with sleep. The vampire grinned to himself. She was back! He wasn't just dreaming it! He felt like doing his own sort of Snoopy Dance out of sheer joy! But just as he'd said so long ago, when the Scoobies had brought her back that time..."The thing about magick? There's always consequences...Always!"  
  
He knew it, and still he'd insited that they bring her back...he was giddy about the idea at first, but as he kicked the idea around, he wasn't so sure. Before he, Rayvin, Isabelle, and Shalimar had resurrected her again, he had wondered what would go wrong this time. He recalled the episode with the hitchhiker from so long ago. Spike had found himself wondering what would come through the temperal folds with his Slayer this time around.   
  
But after the spell had been completed, he'd sensed nothing different - she was his Slayer, plain and simple...no extra baggage. But now, as he awoke, he began to sense something...different, something changed within her.   
  
"You feel it too, don't ya' Spike?" came a voice from his left. He looked up, and before him sat Rayvin, her back up against one of the supports on the dingy wall, cleaning the grit from under her fingernails with her lavishly decorated shiv. She looked up at him, her crimson eyes seemed distant, and vague. "About Buffy?"  
  
Spike sighed.  
  
"Yeah. I's hopin' nothin'd come through with her this time...but it did...Guess I'll just have to find a way to fight it..."  
  
Rayvin leaped to her feet, her face slipping into its rightful facade, her amber eyes seething with anger. "Don't you dare, William!"  
  
Spike was taken aback by her outburst. NEVER had the raven-haired vampyress spoken to him like that. Sure, before she'd been forceful many times before, but NEVER had she taken that tone upon him. In one fluid motion, Spike had jumped to his feet as well, depositing Buffy's head onto his flack jacket for her to use as a pillow, and changed faces just a quickly as his second-in-command had done moments before. In an instant, Spike was toe-to-toe with the vampyress, his amber eyes echoing the angered golden glow of her own.   
  
"Now you're tellin' me how to live my unlife, is that it, Rayvin?" his harsh tone seemed to bring her back to reality. He saw the anger dissipate from her eyes a bit, and saw her take a step back, shaking her head to revert back to her human features. Rayvin hung her head. Despite her reaction, Spike stood his ground. "What's got your soddin' knickers in a twist, Rayvin? Hmm? Is it the Slayer bein' back? Is that it?"  
  
Rayvin shook her head.   
  
"Is it something to do with the way I'm runnin' this bleedin' company?"  
  
Rayvin shook her head again, but this time, instead of staring at the ground she raised only her eyes to glare at the stubborn master vampire before her.   
  
"You were always too stubborn to get me, Spike. And I can tell you sure as hell ain't gettin' me now! Your Slayer - she's the one that's gonna save your bloody world, Spike! I may die in this fight, and you may die with me, and she may bloody well die again, but she will lead us to victory, Spike! You mess with what she's brought with her, and we're all as good as dead!"  
  
"You think you know all about this, Rayvin?! Then tell me? What'd she bring back with her?!"   
  
"She's an Angel, Spike! She's part of the Clan of Angelos!"  
  
Spike recoiled from Rayvin's words. "No..." he looked back at the Slayer. "She...she can't be..."   
  
~*~  
  
I watched as Spike sank away from me, and then I raised my head to get a good look at him. He was pale, even more pale than what was natural to vampires. That worried me. I could see his heart break as I told him that Buffy was a member of the Clan Of Angelos, but I couldn't understand why...I would have thought that he would have loved for her to be one of them, for it would have made her powers far greater than anyone in the Crew, or everyone in the Crew put together for that matter. But he wasn't.   
  
"Why are you against this, William?" I asked, as confused as I had ever been in my entire existence. "I should think you'd be joyous...your Slayer will help us to avert yet another apocalypse..."  
  
"That's just it..." Spike sank to his knees in front of Buffy and stroked her blonde hair lovingly. "I don't want her to have to..."  
  
"Then why bring her back, Spike? You knew she would have to face it eventually." I walked back over to the gurter I had been sitting   
against earlier, and leaned against it, pulling out my shiv once more before I picked up a reasonably sized stick from at my feet and began to whiddle away at it, crafting it into a stake that would easily be concealed in my boot. I sheathed it in between the tongue and inside wall of my boot, then looked around for a large, rough-edged stone. Finding one to my left, I picked it up and tossed it into the air before turning back to face Spike and snatching it out of midair. I dug the oil out of my bag and put about five drops onto the stone before sitting crosslegged on the cracked tile of the subway station, long since forgotten, that we had maneuvered our way into. I began to sharpen my shiv and, after about ten minutes of nothing but the sound of metal against stone, I looked back at Spike. He seemed to be in deep consideration. "Spike?"  
  
The blonde vampire jumped, hearing my voice. He looked up at me tentatively.  
  
"You never answered my question..." I spoke in a scolding tone. "I thought best friends were supposed to talk, Will...I'm waitin'..."  
  
His jaw dropped open as if he was going to say something, but then shut it just as quickly. I sighed and shook my head, figuring he'd talk when he was ready, before turning back to sharpen my shiv again. After a while, Spike chose to talk to me, his words trembling with his voice.  
  
"I needed her with me on this one. That's why I had you an' the Wiccas resurrect her..."  
  
"SPIKE!"  
  
"I know, pet. I know. Rather selfish o'me, I know, but..."  
  
"Wait...so you had no clue either?" I was awed. Of all of the beings in the world to not know about a prophecy...let alone one that could possibly the prophecy of all prophcies...I would have never thought the vampire before me could be so clueless to this information...  
  
"About what, Rayvin?" he asked, his baby blue eyes narrowing at me.   
  
"The prophecy. The Heavenly prophecy from Gaelic legend! The one that tells of one of Light and one of Dark leading a pack of Hellions in the defense of existence! The one that we are a part of!"  
  
Suddenly Buffy awoke with a start, a look of both confusion and fear on her face.  
  
"My God, Spike...I tried so hard not to believe it, but...but I can't get away from it...the message is just...too clear..." Buffy rambled, leaving Spike speechless and clueless - for once - as to what was going on inside her head.  
  
"Good Goddess..." Shalimar crept up behind me, followed by a curious Isabelle, Kyla, and Nick.   
  
"You're telling me..." I whispered back.  
  
"She knows, doesn't she?" asked Isabelle. "She can feel it comin' for us..."  
  
"Feel what, Isabelle?" Asked Nick, obviously as confused as Spike was.  
  
"The apocalypse...she knows it's comin'...and soon." Kyla replied in a timid voice.  
  
"What is it, Slayer?" I asked as I excluded myself from the gossiping group and inched closer to the Slayer and vampire. I knelt next to her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's all right, Buffy. What did you hear?"  
  
Spike stole a curious glance at me as the Slayer turned her eyes up to mine.  
  
"There's unrest, Rayvin. In all the world. They say..." she closed her eyes. "They say to tell all of the vampires that fight with you...with us in the Crew...'full pardon is given, take it as you will. Your souls and your mortality shall be returned upon the conclusion of the War, should you want it, and Heaven shall open its gates to you once more'...But you all must fight for it. Also - If you die, you are automatically welcomed back into the Kingdom of Heaven, and a 'high status' is placed upon your head. How high, they didn't say, but I saw...oh, I saw Wills, and Xander, and Anya, and their kids - Spike, you never said they had kids - and then Dawnie...my little Dawnie...and her children...and her husband - oh, he was so good to her, wasn't he Spike?" Buffy looked up at her lover, questions in her eyes.  
  
Spike was in tears. "Yes, pet, he was very good to her...up until their final hours together..." Spike nodded and stroked Buffy's cheek.  
  
"And you know who else was there, Spike?"  
  
The vampire shook his head.  
  
"It was Kendra! Kendra told me that all of them - all of the Slayers would help us fight if we needed them to. She said that this was a battle for the ages, one that every Slayer had been prepared to fight - if we need them, she told me to call out, and that only I and a certain vampyress would know how - Rayvin, I guess she meant you..."  
  
I nodded, signaling that I accepted the notion.   
  
"But the strange thing about it was, I wasn't nervous at all, Spike. I wasn't. I was relaxed, like before the Scoobs brought me back that other time...it was so peaceful and serene...it was so real...and so beautiful!  
  
"Who was it that spoke to you, Buffy?" I asked, determined to find out if my theory was right. "Who are the 'they' you keep referrin' to?"  
  
Buffy's eyes lit up. "A special clan of Angels...made up of only Slayers, past and future..."  
  
"Future?!"  
  
"Yes, future. And I am a part of them, or so they say...And we're all a part of some kind of prophecy..."  
  
I grinned and glanced at Spike whose glare was cut short by Buffy speaking once again.  
  
"A...and, Spike...I swear I can hear it...I swear it! I'm not crazy!"  
  
"You can hear what, Buffy?"  
  
"I can hear Heaven..." 


	8. In Love And Prophecy

(A/N: the songs belong to Creed, 'Freedom Fighter' and 'Is This The End'. )  
  
Chapter Six  
In Love and Prophecy  
3.1.2113 2:52 PM  
~*~  
  
The mouths of envious  
Always find another door  
While at the gates of paradise they   
beat us down some more  
  
~*~  
  
"Rayvin!" Spike called out after he'd gotten Buffy back to sleep. "Come with me. You an' I need to have a bit of a talk...Bring whatever you've got on this prophecy...I want you to explain it all to me..."  
  
I glanced over at Kyla and Nick, and Kyla grabbed her book of prophecies she'd found in an old book store before we'd taken off to fight in this war and handed it over to me.   
  
"Thanks, Ky. See you guys next lifetime..." I half-heartedly joked. No one laughed. I turned and quickly followed the master vampire back into a niche in the wall that I was sure used to be a concession stand of sorts.  
  
"Rayvin, talk to me. What's this whole prophecy bit about?" Spike looked flustered. The stress was finally getting to him.   
  
"It started when you brought her back, Spike. I don't know what all happened with you two, but I do know you were lovers,"  
  
Spike's jaw dropped.  
  
"Oh, don't act so bloody oblivious, William! If it weren't true, the prophecy wouldn't have started!"  
  
"What do you mean, 'started' ?"  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Don't you see, by resurrecting her, we brought on the chain of events leading up to the Final Battle. Spike, the apocalypse is coming...today!"  
  
Spike's eyes darted to the leather-bound volume in my hands.   
  
"What's that?" his head bobbed in the direction of the book.   
  
"The Book of Prophecies. In it are all of the prophecies the world has ever known...and will ever know." I opened the book to a marked page. "It's from an old used book store back home - Kyla found it before we...left. The only catch is, it's written in Irish Gaelic."  
  
"You can translate it, right?" Spike looked unsure.  
  
"I can get the gist of it, yeah. Translate it perfectly, probably not. But I could give it a shot...I haven't...exactly looked at this thing since we were shipped out..." I searched the book for the text I wanted. "AH! Here's the passage...  
  
"It says...uh...'On the first of the third month, a prophecy shall be fulfilled...' " I squinted at the text and frowned. "I can't make this next bit out, but it has something to do with the resurrection of a great warrior starting the chain of events...hence, the resurrection of...the Slayer.  
  
"The Druids foretold of a special clan of Angels '...so great in number and power and that to resurrect the warrior would mean bringing half of the Angels within her heart and soul. If needed, the Angelos could be called upon to assist in the battle, but only for a short time," I looked up at Spike. "But it doesn't say how long, just that they can, which seems to coincide with Buffy's ramblings earlier." I looked back to the faded text. "Once the warrior has returned, she has ten hours to harness all of her powers..."  
  
"SHIT!" Spike leapt to his feet, billowing his duster out toward me. I grabbed it and flung him back to the ground, shooting daggers at him through my eyes, and continued reading the text from memory as he glared right back.   
  
"...only through the premise of the dream realm and her fellow members of the Clan of Angelos. Spike, do try to wait until the entire explanation is over with before ya barge on outta here. You want to hear about the prophecy, you sit and wait until I've told you everything! Understood?!"  
  
He nodded.   
  
"Good. Now, on with the scripts. Um...after the ten hours, the battlefield must be filled with the Hellions, led by the One of Dark, and the One of Light. The Light shall be the great warrior, the Slayer, and the Dark shall be her vampyr lover. The two will be as one and lead the Hellions to victory in the cloak of night. Also, the coming apocalypse will descend quickly. The Hellions must find the field of battle before their adversaries open the mouth of the hellbeast."  
  
"They open the Hellmouth?"  
  
I nodded. "Yes, but quite involuntarily. A spell will go wrong or something like that..."  
  
"A spell?! I thought they were against all bloody things supernatural!" Spike's temper flared.   
  
"William...NEVER underestimate the other side of any battle, they will always surprise you if you do not give them the benefit of the doubt. Spike, their mage is Nick's brother, Edward."  
  
I watched as Spike's jaw hit the floor.  
  
"But...but I though he had no family..."  
  
"Not in his mind, he doesn't. Edward killed the rest of his family for siding with us. The only way Nick escaped was by the grace of the protection spell I had Shalimar and Isabelle put on his head..." I turned back to the text and scanned it quickly.   
  
"Spike, the rest of this is about casualties..."  
  
"I don't want to know that muck..." he grumbled before standing up.   
  
"Then that's all there is, Spike, go back to her. Make her as comfortable as possible. She has lots more training to do..."  
  
"How long's it been, pet, since we...you know..."  
  
"Resurrected her?" I asked, seeing the look of depression on the vampire's face.  
  
"Yea. How long?"  
  
"Roughly? Six hours and fifteen minutes."  
  
Spike sighed and glanced back at Buffy. "I hope she's somewhat near finished...We've got a lot to get done in the next four hours."  
  
He turned to leave and I called out to halt him.   
  
"Spike!" He turned to look at me. "Where exactly is this supposed battlefield...?"  
  
"My guess? The old high school...Sunnydale High. The Hellmouth opens right underneath the old library. If the 'Mouth's gonna be opened, we gotta be there to stop it..." Spike gave a half-hearted grin and returned to the Slayer's side and I trotted off back to Kyla and Nick to try to rest up in the last couple of hours that we had.  
  
~*~  
  
But our mission's set in stone  
'Cause the writing's on the wall  
I'll scream it from the mountain tops   
pride comes before a fall  
  
~*~  
  
"Buffy, do try to concentrate here, you only have mere minutes in this dreamscape to get down your new abilities..." Giles pulled the glasses off of his face and cleaned them on his t-shirt before putting them back on.  
  
"Geez. And I thought you soured quick back in the day..." Buffy tried to joke and Giles simply glared back at her. Before she knew it, the Slayer was breezing through workouts that should have been too hard, and too quickly paced for even her enhanced Slayer stamina. In thirty seconds, she'd accomplished an hour and a half of an extended training routine, according to the former watcher.   
  
"Now, Buffy, you are physically ready to meet this encroaching apocalypse..."  
  
"Whoa, Giles...English, please?"  
  
The man rolled his eyes. "The coming apocalypse...happy?" He peered at Buffy over the bridge of his glasses who squirmed in glee at having her watcher with her again.   
  
Buffy nodded.  
  
"Now, you must move on to the next station. Kendra will instruct you on the arts of communication between each other and between the realms." Giles stepped over and gave his surrogate daughter a hug. "Do be careful Buffy...the next time you..."  
  
"Die?" Buffy supplied, taking in the grim look on her watcher's face.  
  
"Yes, that's it. The next time you...die...will be the last. You will remain deceased. No more of this Buffy Summers' Nine Lives bollocks...so do be careful. If you live through this battle you will receive two wishes...think about them as much as time will allow, for you must make an educated decision...The two wishes can be for anything you so desire, but as I said. Choose wisely. Go now, Buffy. You're the newest freedom fighter...once again..." Giles gave a wry grin before hugging his former charge once more. Before his image faded out, Buffy caught his voice faintly in the waning breeze.  
  
"I love you, Buffy...Take care of yourself..."  
  
~*~  
  
So many thoughts to share  
All this energy to give  
Unlike those who hide the truth   
I tell it like it is  
  
~*~  
  
"So, Ray...how'd it go?" Shalimar came running up to me, a frown on her face, followed by Isabelle, Kyla, and Nick.  
  
"All right, I guess." I shrugged. I really couldn't tell how it went. It wasn't all 'peachy'...that was for sure. I pushed past the four begging me for answers and climbed something that was akin to an apple crate to speak to the entire company. I clapped my hands loudly to garner everyone's attention.   
  
"Everyone, listen up!"  
  
All of about a thousand eyes fell upon me, and I grew suddenly nervous. I swallowed my emotions and continued.  
  
"In about four hours, we will face the most rigorous battle ever to befall any human, demon, or the like in history. We have joined up with our fellow humans and demons across the world to come together to face this one, inevitable battle. That's right, people. The apocalypse is upon us this very day. We have four hours left for the Slayer to find her new feet, for us to try and gain some semblance of the rest and recuperation that I'm sure we won't have time to get after this fight starts, for us to do the dirty, or whatever else you guys had planned on doing before the end of the world. I suggest that, whatever you had planned, you do it now. Otherwise, you may not get a chance to do it.   
  
"Many of us will die today, and I want to say in advance, that it has been a pleasure serving with you all. I've enjoyed your company, your comfort, and your love, in my times of need of it. You all are family to me...vampire or not. Human, or not. I love you all with the whole of my unbeating heart...And I thank you, for staying here to fight beside us this night.   
  
"To those of you that will die - your deaths will NOT be for nothing, for the prophecy that has been laid out for today has guaranteed us a victory. We will emerge from the shadows tonight, victorious.   
  
"In one of their songs, Creed, a band from the early part of the last century, said:  
  
" 'The world is at war leaving all fault behind  
So Is this the end for us my friend?  
So Is this the end for us my friend?  
The stains in the sky  
Are there to remind us of man and his fight  
When two worlds collide  
One steals the life like a thief in the night  
So look to the sky  
He holds the keys for your life and mine  
So Is this the end for us my friend?'   
  
"Well, folks, some of us may be dead already, and even more of us will die today. Some of us will fight against our family, and others of us against our friends. But people - and we all are people here, now and forever - Heaven is with us, believing that or not is up to you. But it is with us, nonetheless, and we shall be free, no matter the cost. When this night is over, we shall emerge from the shadows...FREE!"  
  
~*~  
  
If the truth will set you free  
I feel sorry for your soul  
Can't you hear the ringing 'cause   
for you the bell tolls  
  
~*~  
  
Buffy had just completed her session with Kendra when an obviously very happy Tara and Willow appeared before her.   
  
"Buffy!" The duo of witches chorused as they showered the Slayer with hugs.  
  
"Tara! Wills! I've missed you guys so much!"  
  
"We...we've missed you too Buffy!" Tara grinned back, placing a hand on Buffy's shoulder.  
  
"But..." Willow interrupted. "We have very little time and every bit of this is precious information."  
  
Buffy nodded.  
  
"Are you ready, Buffy?" Tara asked quitely before taking Buffy's hand in hers and leading her over to a spot on the ground that Buffy could have sworn looked like orange carpet...  
  
Buffy nodded again as the trio took a seat on the plush flooring.  
  
"Good. Now we will begin your training," Willow pulled out a leather-bound book and handed it to Buffy. She opened it to the very center of the old book, and placed Buffy's palms upon the text, one hand upon each page, and then took her hands away from Buffy's own. "Buffy, close your eyes."  
  
Buffy did as instructed.  
  
"Good. We are going to teach you the ways of the Magicks. All that you will need to know is in the texts beneath your palms. Keep your eyes closed and concentrate on reading the texts...."  
  
Buffy clamped her eyes shut even tighter, and turned her head to the sound of Willow's voice.  
  
"Wills - I feel uber stupid! How the hell am I supposed to read with my eyes closed?!"  
  
"The same way you knew where I was..."  
  
"HUH?!"  
  
"Shh, Buffy...Listen..." Willow whispered and Buffy shrugged, concentrating again on the texts before her.   
  
This time, the Slayer heard something unlike anything she had ever heard before. A sort of whispering met her ears, all jumbled together so that she couldn't make out a word of it...but as she listened, she began to hear separate sounds...then words...then the incantations and spells reaching out to her in whole, telling her how to cast all of the spells in the book...Buffy's eyes flew open and the sounds were gone...  
  
"You heard it..." Willow grinned victoriously.  
  
"Damn straight!" Buffy's eyes were wide, and the Wiccas could tell that the girl was in awe.  
  
"I'm glad. Now that you've got the gist of it...it's time to teach you how to search for a certain spell. We'll start with a protection spell..."  
  
~*~  
  
I'm just a freedom fighter  
No remorse  
Raging on in holy war  
Soon there'll come a day  
When you're face to face with me  
Face to face with me  
  
~*~  
  
When Buffy awoke, Spike was right beside her, holding her head in his lap tentatively, caressing first her silken hair, and then her soft cheek. When she looked up into his eyes, his heart broke. He knew that she was ready to die...once again.  
  
"Spike..."  
  
"Hush, luv. Just let it last...what little time we have left." The souled master vampire whispered as his Slayer sat up and locked her gaze on his.  
  
"But I..."  
  
"No 'buts,' Slayer..."  
  
"Dammit, Spike. Shut up for two seconds, would you?" Buffy snapped.  
  
The blonde vampire was taken aback, and Buffy watched - bemused - as his jaw dropped.  
  
The Slayer's features softened before she grabbed her lover by the back of his head and pulled him in for a passionate kiss, tempting him with her eternal love, and teasing him with her soft yet torturous caresses.  
  
If Hell's torture was the same as this...then he had no problem with being in Hell for all eternity...  
  
"You won't be in Hell, Spike," She grinned, caressing his cold cheek.   
  
"I know...but...HEY! I never..." Buffy stopped him by placing a finger on his lips.   
  
"You don't have to speak for me to hear you...Spike, I want you to do something..."  
  
"Anything, Buffy." Spike kissed her nose gingerly, and held her tight to his chest.  
  
"Drink from me."  
  
"What?! I can't do that!"  
  
"You said you'd do anything for me..." She whined, squirming to get out of his grip.  
  
"Yea! Anythin' but that!" the vampire shot back, releasing his Slayer. In moments, she had his back pinned against the wall, her face mere inches from his.  
  
"Spike, I need a link to you...To be able to contact you over distances...and realms, should it come to that, I need a link to you. Rayvin will have to do the same thing for me..."  
  
"But your strength..."  
  
"Won't fade a bit...now drink. You need more strength than you have anyway..." The Slayer bared her neck to the vampire, and his demon revved up inside of him.   
  
"And just what's wrong with...my...vampire...strength...?" He craned his neck...for the first time in years wanting...striving for the blood of a human...  
  
No...No, he couldn't. Not from her.  
  
He collapsed backward onto the wall. "I...I can't..." He whispered, slapping a hand to his forehead.  
  
Buffy fell back on her haunches, and her head drooped.  
  
"Why, Spike? I...I need you to..."  
  
She was hurt, and it was hurting him in return.   
  
"Any other time, you would have. Why not now?"  
  
"I just...can't."  
  
A spark lit up in Buffy's eyes.  
  
"I can still make you..." She wriggled her eyebrows suggestively.   
  
"Oh...you think so, do you?"  
  
"I know so," she winked before hauling her vampire lover to his feet, and dragging him into the nearest enclosed space...  
  
~*~  
  
Can't you hear us coming?   
People marching all around  
Can't you see we're coming?   
Close your eyes it's over now  
  
~*~  
  
"Rayvin!" I turned and Nick was jogging to catch up with me. "Can we talk?"  
  
"Uh...yeah." I sighed and stopped short. "Talk."  
  
"In private?" He continued hopefully.  
  
"Oh, okay..." I led the way into an enclosed room and barely had the door shut before Nick took my hands in his.  
  
"Rayvin...I, uh. I wanted to tell you...something..." He began nervously.  
  
"Something?" I couldn't help but grin. "What kind of 'something'?"  
  
"Oh, you know...a little of this..." He ran his fingertips down the length of my right arm slowly, my eyes following his movements all the way. "A little of that..." His other hand snaked up to cup my face in his hand, and I leaned into his touch on impulse. I closed my eyes...and collapsed into his embrace.  
  
"Oh, Goddess..." I whispered as a tear slid down my face. "Nick...I'm so scared..."  
  
"Shh...don't be, baby." He ran his fingers through my hair, and let them come to rest at the nape of my neck before massaging the skin at the base of my skull. I pulled my head away from the crook of his neck and gazed at him curiously.  
  
"Why are you comforting me like this?" I cocked my head to the side, waiting for his reply.  
  
"Because, Rayvin..."  
  
" 'Because,' why?"  
  
"Because...I love you."  
  
~*~  
  
Can't you hear us coming?   
The fight has only just begun  
Can't you see we're coming?  
  
~*~  
  
Nick watched as Rayvin's jaw dropped and then turned up into a grin.   
  
"You...you love me?"  
  
"Yeah, Ray," he tucked a strand of her black hair behind her ear. "I love you. And I almost missed my opportunity to say it."   
  
He grinned, before dipping his head down to kiss her. She responded greedily, taking from his lips all that he had to give, and relenting when he reluctantly broke off the kisses for a breath.   
  
"Wow..."  
  
"Definitely, wow..."  
  
"I thought you said you were never loved, Ray. So...how'd you learn to kiss like that?" Nick panted, scratching the back of his neck nervously.   
  
"Yeah...I did. That doesn't mean I haven't been kissed though..." She gave him an evil grin and raised one eyebrow.  
  
"Oh really?" He grinned fiendishly.  
  
"Really..." I nodded.   
  
A pensive look came over Nick's face...right before a scream pierced the air, followed by a ravenous roar.   
  
"Well...someone's sure making good on their down time..." Nick chuckled.  
  
"Yea..." Rayvin replied, before growing quiet. After a few minutes she turned back to him, an evil grin on her face. "Think we can take em'?" She squirmed suggestively in his grip, grinding her hips against his.  
  
Nick grinned widely. "Not a problem there..."  
  
In no time their clothes were shed, and the 'battle' was on...  
  
~*~  
  
I'm just a freedom fighter  
No remorse  
Raging on in holy war  
Soon there'll come a day  
When you're face to face with me  
Face to face with me  
  
~*~ 


	9. Are You Ready

Okay - I have been REALLY busy lately, and haven't had ANY time to update this story...until now. I couldn't fit all of this and the first half of the battle into one chapter so...here's Chapter Seven. Enjoy! -Rayvin813-

Chapter Seven

Are You Ready?

_3.1.2113 4:44 PM_

  
    _'Make a wish...' _I thought, as I glanced over at my night-glo watch. Suddenly, Nick stretched beside me.     "What time is it?" he asked sleepily.     "4:44..." I sighed and nestled back into Nick's arms. I grinned at the realization of the feeling I had waited my entire life for. Now...I'd found it.     "Well, no sense in wishing now, is there, Ray?" he nuzzled my neck gingerly and pulled me closer to his body.     "Of course there is. There's always something to wish for...even if you have everything you've ever wanted." I grinned and kissed the man before me.     Nick broke off the kiss reluctantly. "Well, what would you wish for then?"     "I wish..." I paused, unsure if I should wish aloud or not. "That all of us could emerge from this fight unharmed...alive...but it's not destined to happen, so I'm just wastin' my breath...I know."     "Well, I would wish the same, then, seeing as how I already have you..."     I grinned as we snuggled closer and drifted off to sleep for a few more minutes.  
  


*

  
  
    "Well, I guess those two are gonna sleep all day." Isabelle murmured as she walked away from the wooden door betwen her and the lovers inside.     "Who? Rayvin and Nick?" Shalimar asked, busy stocking up her magickal supplies and tweaking her radio to the point that she could interrupt transmissions from those on the other side of the battle line.     "No..." Isabelle narrowed her eyes at her fellow Wiccan. "Buffy and Spike...Wait. Rayvin and...NICK? What? WHEN?!"     "A couple of hours ago." Shalimar replied nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders as she continued squinting at the twin wires she'd been toying with for the last two hours.     "REALLY?! Why didn't she tell us? I mean...me?"     "Don't feel bad, she didn't tell me either." Shalimar picked up an old copper wire from the crate she was using as a table and used it to fuse a red wire and a blue wire together.     Isabelle sat crosslegged on a rusty and worn wrought iron bench and watched Shalimar intently. "What do you mean she didn't tell you either? If she didn't tell you...then how do you know?"     "I saw her and Nick go into that room over there..." Shalimar pointed to the wooden door directly to her left, not looking up from her task. "...and they haven't come out...yet..."     Shalimar secured the wires back into place and replaced the front half of the shell of the high-powered radio. She took the miniature phillips head screwdriver to her right, and manipulated the screws back into place. Isabelle watched silently as Shalimar switched on the radio and tuned through every channel on the transmitting device. On channel 9, she stopped dead.     "Edward, we'll need your help to take out the Slayer, if what you say is true and they do have her on their side. Chastity is one **hell** of a warrior." The radio buzzed with static for a moment before another voice came over the airwaves.     "No. It's not Chastity."     Static.     "Then who is it?"     More static.     "Um...Jakob...you're not going to like this."     "Just say it Edward!" There was a long pause.     "It's..._THE_ Slayer. The one of legends, Jakob." Yet another pause. "It's Buffy Summers..."     Shalimar looked up, a fearful look on her normally placid features. "Oh Goddess...Isabelle..."     Isabelle looked up from her hands, panic drawn across _her_ features.     "...They know."  
  


*

  
  
    Nick and I were awakened by a pounding on the door.     "Rayvin! RAYVIN! WAKE UP! WE'VE GOT TROUBLE!" Came Shalimar's panicked voice from the other side of the door.     Nick stirred beside me as I sprang into a sitting position.     "What's going on, Ray?" he asked sleepily and I held up a hand to halt him from speaking.     "Good question..." I listened intently before springing to my feet and getting dressed.     "What is it?" Nick propped himself up on his elbows and I turned to him.     "I think our secret's out...about the Slayer..." I said, before walking out the door.  
  


*

  
  
    "Shit...Spike's gonna kill me...I can't wake him up..." Shalimar mumbled to herself, pacing before the door that has keeping her from the Slayer and the vampire.     "BOO!" Shalimar BARELY concealed a scream and flung herself around to face the culprit. Rayvin. Shalimar's eyes grew wide with rage.     "DAMNIT RAYVIN!" she forced through gritted teeth. "How could you DO THAT to me?!"     Rayvin doubled over in giggles. "Sorry...couldn't resist...you were SO open to it..."     Shalimar punched her friend in the shoulder. "You'd better not do that again, you hear me?!" Shalimar laughed as well, and Rayvin nodded.     "Deal. Now...what's the problem?"     "Edward obviously did a spell or we have a leak in our midst, Rayvin."     Rayvin grew serious. "That is a problem."     "I was about to wake Spike, but..."     Rayvin nodded and laid a hand on Shalimar's shoulder as she stepped around the Wiccan. "Let me. I know you value your life. Plus...we need ya...in one piece." Rayvin half-heartedly chuckled.     Shalimar gave one last glance at her friend before walking away. She knew Rayvin was putting on a front...she was as afraid as the rest of the company...was it only Shalimar that could tell?? Or would Spike realize it before it was too late?   
  


*

  
  
    I turned and glanced at Shal as she walked away. I could tell that she knew I was scared out of my wits. But I got the feeling that she thought I was fearing for myself. Truth be told, I was scared for Nick.     I'd just found him...and I did NOT want to lose him in some Gods-forsaken war...     I knocked on the door, quietly at first. When I received no answer, I rapped a bit louder.     "Bloody hell..." I heard Spike mumble. "WHAT IS IT?!"     "Spike...I don't know any other way to say this...We have a problem..."     The door was snatched open and Spike stuck his head out. "What...'problem'."     He was ticked...as was I, but I knew he needed to know the situation.     "All I know is, they know that we have Buffy on our side."     Spike snarled. "HOW...?" He drawled it out so slow and so venomously that I took a step back.     "I...we don't know, Spike. It may have been a spell that Edward used on us, or..." I gulped. "An information leak...But again, Spike. We have no clue."     Spike's scowl grew bigger and surned into an all-out snarl.     "DAMNIT!" Spike rammed his fist against the wall, causing a gaping hole about six inches in diameter to form next to the doorframe. He pulled his hand out of the wall and gazed at it curiously. "Bloody hell..." he murmured, flexing his fist to make sure no bones were broken.     "You all right, Spike?" I asked quietly, glancing at his hand.     He nodded. "Fine."     I sighed. "We'll be waiting for you down by the rails, Spike."     He nodded again and turned back to Buffy. "We've got problems, Slayer. Get dressed."     Buffy didn't ask questions, she simply did as she was told and put on the jumpsuit and my flack jacket and followed me down to the rails.     "Rayvin, what's going on?"     "The humans know about you, Buffy. They're gonna try and find us if we don't find them first..." I sighed. "Here. I found these in a store room." I handed the Slayer a pair of black leather pants and a black midriff. "Thought they might suit you a bit better. There's some undergarments in there too...maybe they'll make you a bit more comfortable."     Buffy looked at me gratefully. "Thank you, Rayvin. Thank you so much!"     I laughed as she ran off to an enclosed room just as Spike walked up.     "Where's she off to?"Spike barked out and everyone slenced at once.     "She's gone to change, Spike. I found some clothes a bit more her style and she was eager to get into them..."    Spike nodded, seemingly understanding her need to get a bit more comfortable. He then turned to the rest of the company that had gathered around and glared at everyone.     "It's come to my attention," he began, searching all of the eyes that he could for guilt. "That we could possibly have a traitor in our midst. Somehow, some _bloody_ way, those wankers on the other side of this battle know about our little secret, and I want to know how it got out. NOW!" Spike roared and everyone within hearing vicinity flinched.     I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned. Buffy. I took her hand in mine as she stood beside me, trembling. Spike looked over to where Buffy and I stood, a glare on his face. As soon as he saw his Slayer trembling like a frightened cat, his gaze softened. He walked over and embraced her before turning to me, a pleading look on his face. I nodded and took over for him.     "Look, people. If you know that someone's pullin' double-duty on us - AGAINST us - _PLEASE_ tell _me_, if you won't tell Spike. I'll deal with the problem meself if I have to. A'ight? Now get back to work. Prep yourselves. The battle of the millennium is upon us!" I clapped my hands and the crowd dispersed.     "Rayvin..." A voice whispered and Spike's head snapped up as I turned to face Isabelle. I walked over to the Wiccan warily.     "What is it, Isa?"     "That guy, in the far corner. Who is that?"     I squinted. "Uh...Jake Connor, why?"     "I've never seen him before. With us..."     "He's communications...why do you...?" I cut myself off as it sank in. Communications. Meaning he had the skills to tap into ANY frequency known to the world...Meaning he could communicate with the other side if he so pleased. Isabelle glared at the boy who could've been no more than nineteen. I sniffed the air and examined the aura around him. "Vampire..." I snarled. "Spike!"     Spike released Buffy and the two of them walked over to us cautiously. "Wha' is it, Rayvin...?"     I pointed at the vampire and we watched as he glanced to either side of him, and then pulled out a portable radio well-known to be the sort the humans used for their communications.     "Rayvin! Spike!" Shalimar came running over to us. "We've got comms!" She stopped in between Spike and I and held out her radio at arm's length.     "Michaels to base. Come in, base."     I watched as the man spoke into the radio in sync with the transmission Shalimar was picking up.     "This is base. Report, Michaels. You'd better have good news." The cold voice on the other end of the conversation spoke up.     "Well, sorry to dissapoint, Johns..."     "Damnit, Edward, talk to me!" My eyes widened. Edward?! Nick's brother was a VAMPIRE?! That would explain the brutal murders of the rest of his family...     "They know something's up. I wouldn't be surprised if they caught me right now," I chuckled. Little did he know...     "Fine. If they catch on, get your arse back to base. I'll let Jakob know of your dilemma."     "10-4. Michaels, over and out."     "10-4. Base, over and out."     The radio went dead and Spike growled venomously.     "That's it. We're gonna make a move. Rayvin, Shal'mar, Isabelle. Come up from the right. Me an' the Slayer'll come up from the left."     "Spike - he's a mage! How d'ya think you'll keep 'im down?" I asked, panic rising in my voice. There was no telling how much he already knew...     "We've got two of our own, don't we?"     Buffy shook her head. "THREE of our own Spike." She grinned proudly.     "THREE?!" Spike face took on a quizzical look.     "Duh. You've got me..." She smirked.     Spike cocked his head at the Slayer. "You? You're...not..."     Buffy nodded. "I am...thanks to Wills and Tara."     "All right then. We have three mages," Spike grinned proudly, taking the Slayer's arm in his. "Now let's get 'im."     Each of us took our ordered positions, moving away from the other and walking off to engage in conversation separately.     "Rayvin?" Shalimar poked my elbow and I listened to her, keeping an eye out for movement from the perpitrator.     "Yeah?"     "How long do you think he's been in our ranks?"     I glanced at Shalimar out of the corner of my eye. She looked panicked.     I rested an encouraging hand on her shoulder. "I don't know, Shal. But we'll take care of him either now or on the battlefield."     Shalimar nodded. "I trust you, Ray."     I grinned as Spike nodded to me our signal to close in. I nodded my readiness and glanced from Shalimar to Isabelle and then latched my gaze onto the false 'Jake Connor.'     "Connor! Can I have a talk with ya?" Edward looked panicked, but then calmed down as soon as he realized it was just me.     "Of course...What is it?" The vampire looked nervous, shifting his weight from foot to foot.     "You've been doing one hell of a job lately, and I was just wondering if you needed any help deciphering the transmissions..."     "NO!" His eyes went wide and he cleared his throat. "I mean...no. I got it."     "Are you sure?" I motioned to Spike without Edward noticing and then to Shalimar in plain sight. "Because, I bet Shalimar, and even Isabelle, would love to help..."     With that, Spike grabbed Edward from behind, and held his arms tightly behind his back. Edward put up a struggle, but soon realized that he was no match for the centuries-old master vampire, and gave up his fight.     "What is it? You _finally_ find out I'm not playing for you?" He snarled, wriggling in Spike's grasp.     "Yea...only, we're not the ones being...played." I cocked my head and looked deep into the double-timer's eyes. "You're our pawn, Edward, whether you realize it or not..."     Behind his back, Buffy was working a silent spell to track the demon in his teleportation back to his base...where I knew he'd go immediately.     "Right. Well. See you on the battlefield, SISTER." With that, Edward closed his eyes, concentrated, and in a flash, he was gone.     Spike was stunned for a moment. "Where'd the bastard go?"     "He's gone, Spike. He orbed back to his base. Shalimar, Isabelle, set up the map. Locate him so we can know the Humans' whereabouts."     Isabelle and Shalimar nodded.     "On it!" Shalimar jumped up and spread the map on the crate in front of us and began to work her magick.     After a few minutes, Shalimar and Isabelle had located the opposition's base, and Spike was preparing for an attack.     "Okay everyone! Attentions!" Spike shouted and all eyes were on him. "We're moving out! Pack only what you can carry; we travel light. Get your ammo, your weapons, your magicks. The fight is about to begin..."   
  


*

  
  
    Within an hour, we were set up at the battlegrounds - the old Sunnydale High School. Buffy, Shalimar, and Isabelle had given some magickal assistance to dig some war trenches in case we needed them and Spike and I were going over battle rules.     "Number one : NEVER attack initially 'til I give the word. Two : If they attack first, I expect everyone to engage. No ifs, ands, or buts. Three : If someone next to you falls, you'd better take up the slack in the ranks. Take up their weapon and fight on."     "What if family takes a fall, Spike? What then?"     It was then that Spike saw the fear in my soul. His eyes flashed amber before replying with two simple words that made my soul gleam.     "_KILL THEM_." 


End file.
